From the Archives: Cal Worthington and his ‘dog’ Spot

Car salesman Cal Worthington’s television ads always introduced "Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!" – but the "dog" was never a dog. Besides the bear in the above photo, Worthington appeared with a lion, elephant, goose, chimpanzee, hippopotamus, snakes and numerous other animals.

In the Jan. 29, 1974, Los Angeles Times, staff writer Charles T. Powers reported:

Cal Worthington is 53 and, for almost 30 years, has been a man held captive by the car business. He doesn't like it and never has, but he's made so doggone much money at it he doesn't know how to get out.

The car business bores and bothers him, a fact that may come as a shock to his fans, the people who are glad to see ol' Cal–friend of every insomniac in Southern California–riding a hippopotamus across the TV screen at 2:30 in the morning….

Since he sponsors about half the late movies in town, running right up to 6 in the morning, it isn't unusual to spin the TV dial and see him making his pitch on three or four channels at once. Cal Worthington is part of the Los Angeles experience. He is a living civic monument to the automobile…

This photo by former staff photographer Marianna Diamos accompanied Powers' article.

This post was originally published on Aug. 8, 2013.